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2.93 AVERAGE
2.93 AVERAGE
When Liza witnesses a stranger break into her friend Molly's house via Skype, she tries to reach out to her with no response. Worried about her friend, she continues to follow up until eventually giving up feeling like her friend is hiding something from her.
This was a slow read for me. While there's the thriller story line in the background of who broke into Molly's house, it doesn't seem to be the main story line and the discovery process moves at a slower pace than your typical thriller. I was excited to read this after reading Jessica Strawser's "Not That I Could Tell." While that was also a slower read, the ending was one that I thought about for days after. Unfortunately, the ending of "Foreget You Know Me" was anticlimactic. To me, the ending wasn't worth the read to get to it.
This was a slow read for me. While there's the thriller story line in the background of who broke into Molly's house, it doesn't seem to be the main story line and the discovery process moves at a slower pace than your typical thriller. I was excited to read this after reading Jessica Strawser's "Not That I Could Tell." While that was also a slower read, the ending was one that I thought about for days after. Unfortunately, the ending of "Foreget You Know Me" was anticlimactic. To me, the ending wasn't worth the read to get to it.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
theeeeeeeee worst book i’ve read in a LONG time.
the author gets inside her characters’ heads in the worst possible way. instead of describing their thoughts in a captivating way, she repeats and repeats and repeats the same obsessive overthinking lines over and over and over again.
the ONLY reason i finished the book was because i wanted to know “whodunit,” and even that was NOT worth the payoff.
sooooooooo bad. do NOT waste your time.
the author gets inside her characters’ heads in the worst possible way. instead of describing their thoughts in a captivating way, she repeats and repeats and repeats the same obsessive overthinking lines over and over and over again.
the ONLY reason i finished the book was because i wanted to know “whodunit,” and even that was NOT worth the payoff.
sooooooooo bad. do NOT waste your time.
This was a very slow pace and I almost abandoned a few times. However the last 10% was really good and mostly redeemed the rest.
I started this book thinking the premise sounded unique and expecting a domestic thriller centered around a waning frienship and marriage.
I was pleasantly surprised that Molly struggles with chronic pain. It is rare to have a character who has a chronic condition and I could relate utterly to her frustration at being not enough. I was even more impressed that she is into alternative treatments like me and felt that she voiced my thoughts in the little hope that each treatment would be the breakthrough.
For someone who struggles through a chronic anything, it can be exhausting to keep having to be normal and try to not let the condition restrict you. Like Molly, I forgot to be gentle with myself. I also fear like her that my loved ones will see alternative therapies and be skeptical, just like Daniel.
I could relate to Liza as well because she overthinks. In fact, both of the main characters are very neurotic. So much of the book was spent worrying and catastrophizing things. They were trapped in their minds. It annoyed and resonated with me.
Domestic thrillers fascinate me because they go into the not so nice parts of marriage. The drifting apart, lack of time spent together, blurred lines and the insecurities.
With Molly and Daniel, their problem was the ignoring of her pain and not giving adequate support to her. But she was not guilt free as she stopped talking to him too. Again, communication broke down and it shows that it is so important.
But I felt Molly needed to cut him some slack as he was really trying with her once the incident occurred but I guess she repressed so mich that it spilled over.
Another unique pov was the financial troubles Molly gets into when she keeps trying new things. Rarely do I see female characters struggle with bad financial choices. This is a perspective I feel readers need more of because debt is not restricted to males.
The other moral dilemma was her relationship with single father, Ray as she helps his daughter have the confidence to speak more. She acknowledges that things are gray and that she finds something in him that she has not been getting from Daniel. The acceptance of her condition and support. However, I like that she took a stance and did not let herself be dragged into choices.
The other aspect was the troubles Luke and Steph went through while pregnant. I feel like these issues are not really talked about in fiction. Most just skim it and make it a perfect pregnancy. Reading about the tension and fear made it feel like I was looking into a real couples life.
The friendship aspect was interesting too because it goes into the not so talked about area of friends drifting apart. Of remembering good times and wondering if they could happen again. But I liked how Liza did not give up on Molly and became the support she needed.
Then there is the friendship between Max and Liza that even I was rather comfused on. The way he is there for her is almost le a boyfriend but she does not want him to be. Again, I liked that she thought about it and made a choice. It shows that the female characters are proactive which is admirable.
I did not quite like the writing style because I struggled to follow the long winded sentences and had to reread them to try and get the gist.
Overall, I enjoyed this for reasons I did not expect.
I was pleasantly surprised that Molly struggles with chronic pain. It is rare to have a character who has a chronic condition and I could relate utterly to her frustration at being not enough. I was even more impressed that she is into alternative treatments like me and felt that she voiced my thoughts in the little hope that each treatment would be the breakthrough.
For someone who struggles through a chronic anything, it can be exhausting to keep having to be normal and try to not let the condition restrict you. Like Molly, I forgot to be gentle with myself. I also fear like her that my loved ones will see alternative therapies and be skeptical, just like Daniel.
I could relate to Liza as well because she overthinks. In fact, both of the main characters are very neurotic. So much of the book was spent worrying and catastrophizing things. They were trapped in their minds. It annoyed and resonated with me.
Domestic thrillers fascinate me because they go into the not so nice parts of marriage. The drifting apart, lack of time spent together, blurred lines and the insecurities.
With Molly and Daniel, their problem was the ignoring of her pain and not giving adequate support to her. But she was not guilt free as she stopped talking to him too. Again, communication broke down and it shows that it is so important.
But I felt Molly needed to cut him some slack as he was really trying with her once the incident occurred but I guess she repressed so mich that it spilled over.
Another unique pov was the financial troubles Molly gets into when she keeps trying new things. Rarely do I see female characters struggle with bad financial choices. This is a perspective I feel readers need more of because debt is not restricted to males.
The other moral dilemma was her relationship with single father, Ray as she helps his daughter have the confidence to speak more. She acknowledges that things are gray and that she finds something in him that she has not been getting from Daniel. The acceptance of her condition and support. However, I like that she took a stance and did not let herself be dragged into choices.
The other aspect was the troubles Luke and Steph went through while pregnant. I feel like these issues are not really talked about in fiction. Most just skim it and make it a perfect pregnancy. Reading about the tension and fear made it feel like I was looking into a real couples life.
The friendship aspect was interesting too because it goes into the not so talked about area of friends drifting apart. Of remembering good times and wondering if they could happen again. But I liked how Liza did not give up on Molly and became the support she needed.
Then there is the friendship between Max and Liza that even I was rather comfused on. The way he is there for her is almost le a boyfriend but she does not want him to be. Again, I liked that she thought about it and made a choice. It shows that the female characters are proactive which is admirable.
I did not quite like the writing style because I struggled to follow the long winded sentences and had to reread them to try and get the gist.
Overall, I enjoyed this for reasons I did not expect.
Author Jessica Strawser knows how to grab readers' attention immediately. As Forget You Know Me opens, two long-time friends, Molly and Liza, have finally carved out time for a "girls' night" while Molly's husband, David, is away on a business trip. But since Liza lives in Chicago, and Molly resides in Cincinnati, they are getting together via a video call, When Molly leaves the room to check on one of her children, the call captures a shocking and frightening incident that no one was supposed to see. And the ramifications forever change the lives of both women, whose friendship has been strained the past couple of years following Liza's move. Molly's marriage has also become strained almost to the point of breaking. Molly has ensured a series of physical ailments, and instead of those challenges bringing them closer, the emotional distance between has continued to grow.
In light of what she sees on the video call, Liza drives all night to be at Molly's side, only to be rebuffed when she arrives. She returns to Chicago convinced that their long friendship is really over. However, when she gets home, she is shocked to find that she has narrowly escaped calamity herself and that only exacerbates Liza's long battle with anxiety.
Female friendships are complicated during the best of times. But secrets and lies can signal their death knell, no matter how close and enduring the relationship has been up to that juncture. In Forget You Know Me, neither Liza nor Molly wants their strong bond and shared history to evaporate, but neither of them is sure whether they can regain the closeness they have enjoyed for so many years. What is clear is that they will never be able to carry on unless they are honest with each other.
Molly and David have secrets of their own. In Molly's case, her desperate search for healing and wellness has led her to try various alternative modalities that are costly and not covered by insurance. Rather than tell David the truth, she has attempted to negotiate a deal to pay off the bills she has amassed. A deal that has put her and her family in grave danger. David, meanwhile, has not been honest with Molly about his whereabouts, but he has confided in her about the financial malfeasance he has discovered in his workplace. And he has to decide whether he has the courage to stand up and do the right thing, even as he devises ways to save his marriage. David is worried that Molly has launched an extramarital affair with their neighbor, Rick, a widower raising a troubled young daughter with whom Molly and their daughter, Nori, have been spending a lot of time.
Forget You Know Me is a contemporary tale of best friends, spouses, and a mother who has become increasingly isolated by pain and her own unwise choices. Strawser has given her characters multiple challenges and complications with which to deal, but expertly pulls the various unpredictable threads of her story lines together in a cohesive, plausible manner. That video call sets in motion a series of actions that, at long last, mean secrets must come to light and relationships must be explored. The characters have each -- in his/her own way -- reached a crisis point individually and collectively. Strawser's portrait of three lead characters under immense pressure unfolds from each one's unique perspective.
The result is a compelling and emotionally rich story about the ways in which neglect, indifference, and harbored resentments eat away at relationships. Strawser demonstrates, through her characters' actions, how fear -- of judgment, of consequences, of abandonment -- feeds that erosion. She also illustrates how truth and honesty can heal. Each of Strawser's characters is endearing in his/her own right, but deeply flawed in ways with which readers will readily empathize.
Ultimately, Forget You Know Me is entertaining, thought-provoking, and will leave readers feeling hopeful and resolute.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Readers' Copy of the book.
In light of what she sees on the video call, Liza drives all night to be at Molly's side, only to be rebuffed when she arrives. She returns to Chicago convinced that their long friendship is really over. However, when she gets home, she is shocked to find that she has narrowly escaped calamity herself and that only exacerbates Liza's long battle with anxiety.
Female friendships are complicated during the best of times. But secrets and lies can signal their death knell, no matter how close and enduring the relationship has been up to that juncture. In Forget You Know Me, neither Liza nor Molly wants their strong bond and shared history to evaporate, but neither of them is sure whether they can regain the closeness they have enjoyed for so many years. What is clear is that they will never be able to carry on unless they are honest with each other.
Molly and David have secrets of their own. In Molly's case, her desperate search for healing and wellness has led her to try various alternative modalities that are costly and not covered by insurance. Rather than tell David the truth, she has attempted to negotiate a deal to pay off the bills she has amassed. A deal that has put her and her family in grave danger. David, meanwhile, has not been honest with Molly about his whereabouts, but he has confided in her about the financial malfeasance he has discovered in his workplace. And he has to decide whether he has the courage to stand up and do the right thing, even as he devises ways to save his marriage. David is worried that Molly has launched an extramarital affair with their neighbor, Rick, a widower raising a troubled young daughter with whom Molly and their daughter, Nori, have been spending a lot of time.
Forget You Know Me is a contemporary tale of best friends, spouses, and a mother who has become increasingly isolated by pain and her own unwise choices. Strawser has given her characters multiple challenges and complications with which to deal, but expertly pulls the various unpredictable threads of her story lines together in a cohesive, plausible manner. That video call sets in motion a series of actions that, at long last, mean secrets must come to light and relationships must be explored. The characters have each -- in his/her own way -- reached a crisis point individually and collectively. Strawser's portrait of three lead characters under immense pressure unfolds from each one's unique perspective.
The result is a compelling and emotionally rich story about the ways in which neglect, indifference, and harbored resentments eat away at relationships. Strawser demonstrates, through her characters' actions, how fear -- of judgment, of consequences, of abandonment -- feeds that erosion. She also illustrates how truth and honesty can heal. Each of Strawser's characters is endearing in his/her own right, but deeply flawed in ways with which readers will readily empathize.
Ultimately, Forget You Know Me is entertaining, thought-provoking, and will leave readers feeling hopeful and resolute.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Readers' Copy of the book.
This was not a mystery-suspense novel though something about the blurb suggested that it might be. It was about the changing nature of relationships between young adulthood and "real" adulthood, when suddenly there is less time for girls' nights out and more time spent on putting children to bed, less time for nurturing your marriage, and more time spent nurturing your children. And finally, it was about confronting how much you may have changed when you look at yourself through the (you suspect) judgmental eyes of the people who have known you longest. I didn't dislike this book, and I definitely liked the themes it explored, but something about the author's style felt like listening to the friend who never gets to the point tell you a long story which at the end turns out to be not nearly as remarkable as she led you to believe. I suspect my impression is due mostly to the publisher's blunder (why do they keep doing this?) where they create the impression you're about to read one kind of book and then give you another. I'd read Jessica Strawser again. But with the solid expectation that what I'm getting is likely to be women's fiction.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book because I'm so far behind. I was really excited to read a book by Jessica Strawser since I knew her from her days with Writers Digest.
I enjoyed this story and riding the roller coaster. The characters were well-developed, and I liked the alternating points of view from the three main characters. The events were plausible, and the relationships and how we can often get lost from a partner were something I could relate to.
However, it's billed as a thriller, and it isn't. It's more domestic drama. The one thing about the book that left me shaking my head was a storyline set-up for something really bad to happen that simply got dropped as if it wasn't important enough to finish. I felt like it Iwas set up for a true thrill, and was then bloop.
Beyond that, an enjoyable read that I can recommend.
I enjoyed this story and riding the roller coaster. The characters were well-developed, and I liked the alternating points of view from the three main characters. The events were plausible, and the relationships and how we can often get lost from a partner were something I could relate to.
However, it's billed as a thriller, and it isn't. It's more domestic drama. The one thing about the book that left me shaking my head was a storyline set-up for something really bad to happen that simply got dropped as if it wasn't important enough to finish. I felt like it Iwas set up for a true thrill, and was then bloop.
Beyond that, an enjoyable read that I can recommend.
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I definitely plucked this off the shelf thinking it was a thriller, until I read Melissa's very helpful review. This changed my mindset right at the beginning, so I didn't have a chance to get disappointed at the lack of suspense like many of the reviewers did. I thought this was a good exploration of relationships and what it takes to nurture them and sustain them through the ups and downs of life. I mean, even in these days of social media (maybe especially), relationships take work, from both sides, to make them last. This is a book about second chances, and about how far you would go to try and keep from losing someone.
I definitely plucked this off the shelf thinking it was a thriller, until I read Melissa's very helpful review. This changed my mindset right at the beginning, so I didn't have a chance to get disappointed at the lack of suspense like many of the reviewers did. I thought this was a good exploration of relationships and what it takes to nurture them and sustain them through the ups and downs of life. I mean, even in these days of social media (maybe especially), relationships take work, from both sides, to make them last. This is a book about second chances, and about how far you would go to try and keep from losing someone.
Liza and Molly were the best of friends- almost sisters- until Molly marries Daniel. But as their friendship starts to fizzle, the girls attempt to rebuild what they once had through long-distance Skype calls. But one night, their regular catch-up is suddenly interrupted by an masked intruder when Molly steps away from her laptop.
I was immediately drawn into the novel as a suspenseful mystery with a focus on female friendships. With emotions running high and distrustful characters abound, "Forget You Know Me" starts off really strong. And though the action slows considerably in the middle, the spark is back for the last few chapters.
It's a shame that the novel is being marketed as a thriller because that's not really what it is at all. If I had known going into it that it would focus more on marriage, children and relationships, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
I received an advance copy of "Forget You Know Me" in exchange for an honest review. "Forget You Know Me" will be published February 5, 2019.
I was immediately drawn into the novel as a suspenseful mystery with a focus on female friendships. With emotions running high and distrustful characters abound, "Forget You Know Me" starts off really strong. And though the action slows considerably in the middle, the spark is back for the last few chapters.
It's a shame that the novel is being marketed as a thriller because that's not really what it is at all. If I had known going into it that it would focus more on marriage, children and relationships, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
I received an advance copy of "Forget You Know Me" in exchange for an honest review. "Forget You Know Me" will be published February 5, 2019.